One of the most dangerous procedures during a surgery is administering anesthesia. Research sponsored by the National Institutes of Health showed that in one six-year period, nearly half of all anesthesia-related fatalities were the result of overdoses.
Top 5 Reasons for Anesthesia Mistakes
An overdose is a big mistake, but not the only mistake. Totaled, human error accounts for nearly every case of fatality because of this procedure. The top five reasons for anesthesiologist mistakes are:
- Improper or poor training – The medical field is short-staffed in many locations. This leads to improper and often ineffective training of new personnel.
- Inexperience – With many older anesthesiologists retiring, there is a growing degree of inexperience in the field. This lack of experience naturally leads to mistakes.
- Lack of Certifications/recertification – Anesthesiologists are required to be certified in accordance with N.J.A.C.13:35-4A.12. A certified registered nurse anesthetist (C.R.N.A.) administers the process which must be repeated every three years. The certification ensures both compliance with law and understanding of new procedures. In addition, certification must be completed for each form of the procedure applied: General, Regional, and Conscious Sedation. Failure to recertify could cause an anesthesiologist to miss learning newer life-saving practices or relearning older, proven procedures.
- Poor communication – When staff fails to communicate complications and other vital information, an anesthesia error in South Jersey could harm the patient. When hospitals are understaffed or staff rushes their jobs, communication often suffers. Yet those who suffer most from communication failures in the hospital are the patients.
- Charting – Related to communication is failure to chart or review patient charts for important information regarding the situation of the patient. Charts contain such vital patient information as age, weight, prior surgeries, blood type, the surgery to be performed, medications taken, and many other conditions which could affect successful application.
Although there may be other reasons which cannot be controlled or prevented, most are human error. Regardless of the reasons, negligent hospitals and staff must be held accountable.
Cherry Hill Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Folkman Law Offices, P.C. Advocate for Victims of Anesthesiologist Mistakes
Cherry Hill medical malpractice lawyers at Folkman Law Offices, P.C. help families of victims of anesthesia errors in South Jersey. When someone you love is harmed by medical negligence, you have a right to compensation. We fight passionately for our clients. Our offices are conveniently located in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. To arrange a consultation, complete our online form or call now 856-354-9444.
